The Way It Is
by Kodaa
Summary: While they're fighting, Grimmjow tries to convince Ichigo that he didn't come to Hueco Mundo to save Orihime. I tried to keep the scene pretty much the same. Onesided!Grimmjow/Ichigo. Yaoi/Shounen-Ai. Flames and Reviews welcome!


**DISCLAIMER: I wish I owned Bleach, but if I did, Shinji and Starrk would be canon. So I don't.**

**A/N: Sorry, the fact that Grimmjow was trying so hard to convince Ichi that he didn't come to save Orihime, this idea shot me in the face. I had to write this! D: Sorry.**

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"Tell me, Ichigo...What did you come here for?!" I demanded. My face was smiling, a big, sadistic grin, but inside this conversation was tearing me apart. I knew what he would say. I knew how he '_felt_'. Even when he was fighting--even when he was trying to kill_ me_, when he was in_ my domain_--...his heart still belonged stubbornly to_ her_. Only her. Even when he should have belonged to me, even if it only was for that moment.

Well, he was _wrong_. He _couldn't _do that. Not _here_. Not with _me_.

"What do you think?! To save Orihime!" he yelled at me, his face enraged...but not the kind of rage I wanted. Not the right kind of hate. It was fake, it had no real emotion. No sincerity to the fight I so desprately needed.

I wanted to crush him. I wanted to break him. I wanted to kill him, even. If it was the only way he would stop caring about her, then so be it. If he'd forget about her. About_ them_. They shouldn't matter to him; they were in his way. They were against the need for the kill that I knew he harbored inside of him. I couldn't help it, I let out a dark, humorless bark of laughter, "Ha! But when you found her, your first thought...wasn't to get her to saftey, was it?!" I fought against his thoughts. He was wrong, he came to fight me. That's how it was.

"Were you relieved to see that she was unharmed?" I pushed on, my grin growing. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach grew. I needed him to fight me. I needed to change his mind. I wanted him to want me as much as I need him. Even if he only wanted to kill me, I still needed him.

His expression changed, his eyes widening at this. I only felt a warm sense of pride trying to cover up the raw pain within me._'Yes!'_ "But you can't see what's going on inside!" I screamed at him, needing that reaction.

"Did you guys...do something to her?" he asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He seemed shocked at that revelation, only fueling my hope that he was too preoccupied with _me_. That I _was _better than her, at least this once.

I basked in the sheer hatred within his sweet, low voice. "That's the look I like..." I murmured, looking over his face appreciatively, "...Ichigo!"

I thrust my sword upwards, stepping away from him. His expression had changed to pure shock, "What...?" he whispered, staring at me...Only me. I smiled wider.

"You said you came here to save that _witch_?" I asked him mockingly, my heart aching as I told myself as much as I did him, "Well, I've got news for you, boy...You're wrong." I spat at him, trying to foce him to believe me. "You came here to_ fight_." To fight_ me_, specifically.

When his eyes widened, I dared hope I was on to something. I pushed my luck, "You know I'm right! Your fighting instincts brought you here! You're a Soul Reaper and I'm a Hollow! We have to fight to the death!! That's the way it's been for a thousand years!! What better reason do you need than that?!" I screamed, forcing him to believe that it wasn't for her. That it was never for her. He had to learn, and so did I. Neither of us really cared about anybody. We only needed a fight to go on; so if he was going to let go of her...I was going to let go of him. Somehow. "Come on!" I goaded, "Whoever's standing at the end...gets to live!! Now let's do this!"

_'One of us needs to die for me to be okay.'_ I admitted to myself as we began our dance of death.

And there was no doubt in my mind that I would lose for him. But, I might as well give him one helluva time before he took my life.

_'He damn better take it, anyway. He didn't hold back when he took my heart.'_


End file.
